Dreams of a Better Tomorrow
by Mimi0204
Summary: Fatherhood always seems the most daunting to those who never had it growing up.


Ok. I'm trying my hand at Aladdin right now. I though of this story after a marathon of watching all 3 movies back to back on DVD. And then going to Wal-Mart for some marshmallow Peeps. Note: After watching the movie, I have come to the conclusion that Aladdin's last name is, indeed, Ababwa. So, that is his last name in this story. I mean, they wouldn't just randomly give him a last name.

Disclaimer: Don't own "Aladdin", don't own a lot of other stuff here. Let's make this simple. You'll know what is and isn't mine.

Ok. Story time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Do you know what, Mommy?" a 4-year-old Aladdin said to his mother. His mother, whose darkened skin was paling due to illness, looked at him._

"_What, Aladdin?" she questioned, playing along._

"_Well," he said climbing into his mother's arms, "when I grow up, I'm gonna be a good mommy, just like you."_

_His mother laughed. "You silly. You can't be a mommy."_

"_Why not?" he asked, sounding hurt._

"_Because," she said, "you'll be too busy being a daddy. Girls are mommies and boys are daddies."_

_Aladdin turned around to look at his mother. "Then, what happened to my daddy?"_

_Aladdin's mother's eyes watered briefly as she looked at her son. "I don't know, honey. We lost him a long time ago."_

"_Oh," was the reply. "Will we lose you too, Mommy?"_

"_Unfortunately yes, Aladdin. One day. But, hopefully, not soon."_

_----------------_

"Hey, Al? Little buddy? You in there?" Genie floated, upside down, in front of Aladdin. The floating blue guy brought Aladdin back to the world of the living, as it were.

"What?" Aladdin looked around, searching for his mother, before remembering where he was. He looked down momentarily to regain his composure, before smiling up at Genie. "Sorry about that. Just thinking."

"Ah, don't mention it. You've got a lot _to_ think about, especially now," Genie said, pointing to Jasmine.

Aladdin smiled as he watched his wife sleep. In a few short days they would be parents. He would finally have the family he was denied as a child. And that frightened him. Would he be a good dad? Was he ready for this? Would he have to leave his own child like his parents did?

His silence prompted another wake-up call from Genie. This, however, woke up Jasmine, too. Two months ago, she had developed this thing where any small noise would awaken her. She looked over to Aladdin and Genie, both who smiled warmly at her. Aladdin's smile, she noticed, didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Aladdin, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

With some help, Jasmine got off her bed and made her way to Aladdin. She cupped his face in her hands and looked straight into his eyes.

"Aladdin, I know when you're lying to me. I thought we were past that."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just scared."

Jasmine and Genie shared a look.

"What are you scared of, Al? I mean, you've seen everything!" Genie said. Aladdin turned to Genie and shook his head.

"No, I haven't." He got up and walked outside to the balcony overlooking Agrabah. "I've never seen how a parent raises their child. I never had a chance to. What if I do something wrong? What if I…what if I'm a bad father?" Aladdin felt Jasmine's arms around him, causing him to sigh.

"You're not going to be a bad father," said Jasmine. "That is not possible. The baby's not even here yet and already you are looking out for them."

"Face it, kid. You're destined to be a great dad," chided Genie.

"What made you think that you would be a bad father?" asked Jasmine.

"I don't know. I guess I've just been looking too much into things," answered Aladdin. "I've been having a lot of dreams about _my _parents and how I never got to really know them. Sure, I have my dad now, but I'm already an adult. And my mom…" Aladdin rested his elbows on the balcony, eyes watering up. "She was so sick, there was nothing I could do. And she knew that she was d… that she wasn't going to make it. But she still took care of me, and she still got up to be my mom. And you would never see her in pain, she wouldn't let you. She would just smile. She always smiled. If I had only been a little faster…"

For as long as they had known him, Jasmine and Genie never heard Aladdin share so much about his mother. Whenever the topic was even approach, he would mention very little, and change the subject. Nor, had they ever seen him cry about it.

Almost as if someone turned a light switch in her mind, Jasmine finally realized that pain that her husband had been carrying all those years. She finally saw how much he suffered as a child. She, herself, lost her mother as well, but this was different. The Queen had died at childbirth, so Jasmine never knew her. Aladdin's mother was taken away from him when he needed her the most, as a little boy.

'Now I know where he gets his bravery,' she thought. 'From his mother.'

Aladdin looked up, and gazed directly into Jasmine's eyes. Their eyes locked briefly, before Jasmine wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder. She looked at Genie, who could do nothing more than look on, sadness written across his face. When they finally broke apart, Aladdin rested his forehead against hers.

"You know, she would have loved you," he smiled. "She would have said something like, 'There is no one in this world more perfect for my little Ali.'"

Jasmine blushed. Genie turned himself into a giant clock and placed himself in front of Aladdin and Jasmine.

"I hate to be a party pooper, but you two look…uh, pooped."

"Yeah," Aladdin said, wiping his face of any fallen tears, "I think we should get some sleep." After bidding Genie a good night, the couple headed off to bed. Once they were comfortable, Jasmine turned to Aladdin.

"Do you know what I think?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I would have loved your mother, too."

Aladdin opened his eyes, and looked at Jasmine. He smiled and closed his eyes again, sighing in content.

_----------------_

"_Aladdin, please slow down, honey. Mommy can't keep up."_

_Little Aladdin stopped running, and went back to his mother, helping her walk back to their little hovel._

"_You didn't eat anything, Mommy. How come?" he asked as soon as they entered._

"_Because I'm a big person, and I can go without food longer than you can, because you're just an itty, bitty tiny boy," she said, tickling her son lovingly._

"_Mommy!" Aladdin squealed, "I'm not a little tiny boy. I'm gonna be 5!"_

"_By, Allah. Yes you will. My big boy." Aladdin's mother stopped tickling him and began assaulting him with kisses. The 4-year-old's laughter could be heard throughout the alley, causing some people to look up to the hovel, some smiling at the sound of the child and his mother, some frowning because of the noise._

"_In two weeks my little Ali will be..."_

"_Big and strong Aladdin!" he said, flexing his "muscles", making his mother giggle._

"_Yes. Big, strong Aladdin. But in order for you to be big and strong, you need to be well rested. So, off to bed."_

"_Aw, Mom…"_

"_Aladdin." _

_Aladdin sighed in defeat, but went to the pillows and blankets he called his bed with a smile on his face._

"_Will you be here when I wake up?" he asked his mother._

"_Do you trust me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well then, yes. I will be here when you wake up," she answered with a pained smile._

"_I love you, Mommy."_

"_I love you, too, my little Ali. I always have, and I always will."_

This was originally supposed to be longer, but I couldn't figure out how to do that. So this is the final result. If I ever get bitten by my "Aladdin" muse, however, maybe I'll make it the original length I thought it was going to be. I don't even remember what was going to happen, I just know Aladdin's father had a small part to play. Right, so thanks for reading.


End file.
